French Pressed

Recipes&Tips From The Village Blend

A coulis is a thick and evenly textured French sauce made from pureed and strained vegetables or fruits. Coulis can either be sweet or savory, depending on what it is meant to accompany, and it is popular both with classically trained French chefs and practitioners of fusion cuisine.

A vegetable coulis is generally used with meat or vegetable dishes, or as a base for soups or other sauces. Fruit coulis are generally used with desserts, but savory fruit coulis may also be used to accent roast meats. Herb coulis are becoming popular, and mint coulis often accompany roast lamb.

This classic sweet coulis is made with raspberries, but an equal amount of another fruit, such as strawberries or man-goes, can be substituted.

2 pounds raspberries, fresh or frozen

½ cup sugar

½ lemon, juiced

Combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer while stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh sieve. Add additional sugar or lemon juice, to taste.

In France, raspberry coulis is often served with poached apples, but it may also be served with ice cream or pound cake, artfully drizzled on a plate or pooled next to the food it accompanies. Different types of coulis can appear on one plate, for varying flavors and colors.

Coulis should be kept in the refrigerator and can be frozen for future use. Chefs keep coulis in a squeeze bottle, so that it can be quickly applied when needed.

The classic French chocolate pots de crème are not your typical chocolate pudding. They’re sinfully chocolaty and truly delightful—and they’re relatively easy to make, too. This recipe will yield approximately six 6-ounce servings.

12 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped or chocolate pieces)

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup milk

6 egg yolks (extra large or jumbo eggs)

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300°.

Put your chopped chocolate (or chocolate pieces) in a metal or glass bowl. Then in a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until it’s just about to boil (but not yet boiling). Pour this hot liquid over your chocolate, and let it sit for about a minute until the chocolate is softened. Then stir this mixture until it’s smooth. This will take between 1 and 2 minutes.

In a second bowl whisk the egg yolks together (or use an electric mixer instead for this entire step). Gradually whisk in the sugar until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Now gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into these egg yolks.

Strain this custard through a fine-meshed sieve. (Tip: pour mixture into a container with a pouring spout.) Divide the mixture among six 7-or 8-ounce custard cups (or even ovenproof or stoneware coffee cups), and place the cups in a 9× 13 baking pan. Fill the pan with boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the custard cups (or coffee cups). Cover with foil and pierce in several places so that steam can escape.

Bake for about 30–45 minutes in the center of your oven until the tops of the pots de crème look solid, but the custard still jiggles slightly when you shake it. Don’t worry, the custard will firm up as it cools. Note: the deeper your cup, the longer your custard will take to set. If the custard still has a liquid top after 30 minutes, increase oven temperature to 325° and bake another 15 minutes.

Now remove the pots from the oven and the hot pan and let them cool to room temperature before placing them into the fridge. Make sure to cover these with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The custards should be chilled at least 2 hours before serving and will store well for up to 2 days. Try serving with a dollop of whipped cream. For added flare sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Borscht is a soup prepared with fresh beets that is popular in both Russia and Poland. It’s traditionally prepared using a variety of vegetables, a meat stock, or both. It can be served hot or cold and is always garnished with a dollop of sour cream. This recipe uses lamb, which results in a particularly rich and savory version of this traditional dish. Beef may be substituted.

Serves 10.

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1½–2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into pieces

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1½ pounds green cabbage, chopped

1½ pounds ripe red tomatoes, diced (use fresh, no need to peel)

2–3 pounds red beets, rinsed, peeled, and diced (small cubes)

3 quarts beef stock, fresh or canned

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 quart sour cream

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

Heat a 12-quart pot; add the oil and garlic. Brown the lamb, and add the onions; sauté until onions are tender. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, beets, stock, vinegar, lemon juice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Dish into bowls; serve with one or two teaspoons of sour cream and chopped dill for garnish.

Chicken in red wine with braised onions, mushrooms, and bits of tender pork. Sounds simple, right? Don’t be fooled. Classic coq au vin is a complex dish that requires advance planning and multistep preparation. It’s time consuming, but you’ll find the taste well worth the trouble.

Serves 4.

STEP ONE: BLANCH THE PORK

¾ cup (6 ounces) of ¼-inch strips of slab bacon or salt pork

Drop the pork into a saucepan; cover with 2 to 3 inches of cold water. Bring to boil over medium heat, simmer 5 to 8 minutes, drain. Refresh the pork in cold water, then pat dry with a paper towel.

STEP TWO: PREPARE THE BEURRE MANIÉ

1½ tablespoons Wondra flour

1½ tablespoons butter

Blend flour and softened butter into a paste. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

STEP THREE: PREPARE THE RAGOUT OF CHICKEN

3 pounds frying chicken, cut into parts

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt to taste (Baleine Mediterranean coarse crystals recommended)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 large cloves garlic, pureed

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon thyme

1 large, ripe red tomato, chopped (or 1/3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes)

4 cups young red wine (Chianti, Zinfandel, Macon)

1 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Sauté the blanched bacon or salt pork with the 2T of butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch frying pan, then remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat, add olive oil to fat if necessary. (Be sure the chicken is completely dry or it will not brown evenly.) Place chicken pieces skin side down. Don’t crowd the pan; the chicken needs room to vent. (Make two batches, if necessary. And if you do, separate dark meat from light; it takes a little more time to brown dark meat.) Turn chicken every 20 to 30 seconds to ensure even browning. To finish the cooking, cover pan, lower the heat to moderate, and cook for about 6 minutes, turning once.

Baste the chicken in the rendered fat. Season with sea salt and pepper, then add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and tomato. Pour in 3 cups wine and enough stock to barely cover the ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

STEP FOUR: BRAISE THE ONIONS

12–18 white boiling onions (peeled)

Clarified butter or olive oil

Chicken broth

1 cup red wine

Sea salt

Sauté 12 to 18 peeled white boiling onions in clarified butter or olive oil. Swirl the pan to brown them, or they will not braise evenly (approximately 12 minutes on low heat). Add chicken broth and a cup of red wine to half cover the onions. Season lightly with sea salt. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, until onions are tender but retain their shape when pierced.

STEP FIVE: SAUTÉ THE MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon light olive oil or cooking oil

3–4 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, washed, dried, and quartered

½ tablespoon chopped shallots (or scallions)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Set a 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat with butter and oil. When the foam from the butter subsides, add the mushrooms. Toss frequently for a few minutes while the mushrooms absorb the butter. In a minute or so, the butter will reappear; then add the shallots (or scallions) and ground pepper to taste and brown lightly.

STEP SIX: FINISH THE SAUCE

Pour the pan juices into a saucepan. Clean the frying pan you started with (you’ll need it again). Boil down the juice a bit to concentrate the flavors. Remove from heat and whisk in the beurre manié to make a slightly thickened sauce. Bring briefly to simmer. Return the chicken to the clean pan; coat pieces with sauce.

STEP SEVEN: ASSEMBLE THE DISH

Strew a portion (to taste) of the pork lardons, all the braised onions, and all the sautéed mushrooms over the chicken. Baste with the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve with warm bread (to dip in that delicious sauce).

A delightful dish for a cold winter morning, especially tasty if served warm, with or without butter, along with your favorite coffee. Traditional recipes use skim milk and less sugar. Mine’s sweeter, and the half-and-half brings a slightly richer texture to the party.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup yellow cornmeal

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon (dash) salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup half-and-half

1 egg, beaten

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt. Stir in oil, half-and-half, and the egg. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. (Don’t overmix!) Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square pan and bake in a preheated 400° oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.